Brothers In Arms
by FinalFantasyObsessive
Summary: A small squad from Churchill's Private Army meet the boys, how will they get on?
1. The Start to a Bad Joke

Disclaimer:

I do not own Band of Brothers (Uses stereotypes…whether you'll find them offensive I don't know, but they aren't meant to be offence…well I'm not offended and I've made a stereotype of a person from where I am from…well she's an actual person, she just didn't live during the war…) I don't Ellie Costain, because well she's an actual person like the whole of the characters from Band of Brothers.

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Brothers in Arms

Chapter One: The Start to a Bad Joke.

Holland 1944

Finally we were making at least a little headway with this goddamn war, Holland for the most part had be liberated from Nazi control, hopefully soon it would all end and I could return home.

"Oi! Costain, give us a hand will you, I Cannae carry this on my own!" Luke hollered I looked down the street through the masses of orange banners and waving flags spotting Luke pointing towards a rather large crate, most likely artillery or other weaponry. One thing since arriving and liberating parts of Holland, I had found out was the Dutch could throw one hell of a party.

"Scone 'ead." I muttered shaking my head as I trudged over to him, he should really be able to lift a crate by himself. He was a lot stronger than I was, hell he could probably lift four of me. And where the hell were Rab and Chester?

"Thank you me Quine." He thanked as we picked the crate up and damn was it heavy. We carefully placed it into the building in which would hold the supplies before exiting; we were greeted with the sight of even more people flooding into the streets.

"There ya 're." a thick Scottish voice yelled, Luke and I turned round finding a cheerful looking Rab and an amused looking Chester. We weaved our way through the crowd to stand with the pair on the step of the Post Office giving us a view of the main street without being jostled by the celebrators. "The Yanks have finally arrived, lazy arses. I donnae know what took 'em so long."

And sure enough cutting through the crowds wearing their green military uniforms were the Americans, we'd been notified that one of the new Paratrooper units were in the vicinity, well that was a few days ago, we'd been expecting them to find us a lot sooner, but better late than never. The Dutch seemed completely happy to see our new arrivals, granted being part of Churchill's private army doesn't exactly make you stick out from the crowd, unless we were wearing uniforms which at that moment in time we were.

"How y'a doing pet?" Chester asked as he placed a hand on my shoulder, for a lad from Newcastle he was a nice guy, not fit, just really friendly and not in an overly handsy sort of way. Luke and Rab, the Aberdonian and the Glaswegian, were like older brothers except that they could be a tad flirty from time to time. A Scouser, a Geordie, a Glaswegian and an Aberdonian…sounds like a start to a really bad joke.

"Sound as a pound mate." I replied momentarily looking back at him and smiling, the war could take a lot out of a person and we needed all the enthusiasm we could get. I returned my gaze to the crowds spotting the Americans coming straight for us and leading them was a proper fit man. "Dibs on the ginger!"

"Eh, lassie I'm ginger." Rab joked winking at me, which earned him a swift elbow to the side.

"Scone 'ead!"

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Author's Notes:

Hi! Hope you liked…sort of a very weird fanfic I decided to write for my friend, and decided to use some stereotypes of the British that were never shown in Band of Brothers. (I absolutely adored the part with the Cockney rhyming slang!) Now scone 'ead is apparently (And I do come from Liverpool) what someone would say if someone was being an idiot…though I've only heard it maybe once…Quine according to my friend is used in various parts of Scotland and means lady…erm well I think it's all I have to say for the moment…any questions don't hesitate to ask.


	2. We Are At War With Germany

Disclaimer: 

Again I mean no offence in this fanfic, and hopefully I get the fact right when talking about the war.

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Brothers in Arms

Chapter 2: We Are At War With Germany

It all started five years ago…well technically it started nine years ago when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, the beginning of his power conquest. By 1939 he had already claimed Czechoslovakia, re-militarised the Rhineland and re-unified Austria and Germany. Chamberlain the then Prime Minister of Britain had followed a policy of appeasement hoping that Hitler could be used to combat the growing power of Stalin's Soviet Union, but at the same time Britain was not ready for war. Appeasement allowed the government to prepare for another war. However the final straw came in 1939, once Hitler and Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet pact, which stated that Germany would invade Poland from the west to get back the western land taken from Germany and ultimately re-joining the Prussian Germans with the rest of Germany. While Russia invaded Poland from the east to claim back land that Russia had lost. Like with Belgium in the Great War, Britain and France agreed to declare war on Germany if they invaded Poland, by September 1939 Britain and France had joined the war.

I was at work in the bakery on Lime Street when I heard, little Jim the paperboy for the street ran passed the shop hooting and hollering: 'Britain is at war! We are at war with Germany!' Now most people ignored his shouts he was well known for his pranks and telling porkies, so we all assumed that it was nonsense and carried on with our day, in my case it was selling bread and other pastries to the customers. However Brian, the owner of the bakery and therefore my boss, decided he'd double check the news, so he dusted off his hands making sure none of the flour got onto the wireless as he placed it on the counter and tuned it to the BBC news broadcast.

'_Emergency News bulletin from the Prime Minister: "I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room of 10 Downing Street. This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German government a final note, stating that unless we heard from them - by eleven o'clock – that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received and that, consequently, this country is at war with Germany. You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win peace has failed."_

The whole bakery seemed to stop, people from the street walked in to hear exactly what Mr Chamberlain had to say, everyone seemed shocked, we thought we could avoid this damn war…but it was inevitable that we would eventually enter into it, but it was a shock to see the time come so soon. China and Japan had been at war since 1937 and being from a city that traded heavily with China, it had seemed odd that we had yet to enter the war, surely we should have defending one of our oldest trading partners.

"_Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different that I could have done and that would have been more successful. Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honourable settlement between Germany and Poland. But Hitler would not have it. He had evidently made up his mind to attack Poland whatever happened; and although he now says he put forward reasonable proposals which were rejected by the Poles, that is not a true statement. The proposals were never shown to the Poles nor to us; and though they were announced in the German broadcast on Thursday night, Hitler did not wait to hear comments on them, but ordered his troops to cross the Polish frontier next morning. His action shows convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force and we and France are to-day, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of Poland, who is so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack upon her people."_

It seemed as though time had been passing so slowly, everyone had completely forgotten what they were doing prior to listening to the radio, Jim had even joined us in the bakery. His faced redden from running up and down the street. There was no sound coming from outside it seemed even motorists had stopped to see what the commotion was, to investigate why people stood in the bakery when the staff were not working. The bread was most likely burning; knowing Bobby he'd probably left some in there.

"_We have a clear conscience. We have done all that any country could do to establish peace, but a situation in which no word given by Germany's ruler could be trusted and no people or country could feel themselves safe had become intolerable. And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will all play your part with calmness and courage. At such a moment as this the assurances of support that we have received from the Empire are a source of profound encouragement to us. When I have finished speaking certain detailed announcements will be made on behalf of the Government. Give them your close attention. The Government have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these plans need your help."_

I thought back to my grandfather's stories of his time spent on the front line, he'd left my grandmother and my father at home, to fight as part of the Lancashire regiment, my father at the time was too young to go to war. He'd seen his friends die, his brother die…countless deaths all because of the war, he never wanted to see another war like the last, and he wouldn't, he'd died several months ago. But now faced with another war, I could be losing friends and close family members…and the thought of that made my blood run cold.

"_You may be taking part in the Fighting Services or as a Volunteer in one of the branches of Civil Defence. If so, you will report for duty in accordance with the instructions you receive. You may be engaged in work essential to the prosecution of war or to the maintenance of life of the people—in factories, in transport, in public utility concerns or in the supply of other necessaries of life. If so, it is of vital importance that you should carry on with your jobs .Now may God bless you all and may He defend the right. For it is evil things that we shall be fighting against, brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution.  
And against them I am certain that the right will prevail."_

The broadcast ended, but Brian kept the wireless running, making sure that no one would miss any important broadcasts. The people that had filed in to listen to the Prime Minister's speech soon filed out, leaving all but little Jim sat on his own. Bobby and the rest of the staff returned to the baking, leaving Brian and myself in the front of the shop.

"I'll just be a minute, make sure the boys alright, all this talk of war can scare a lad." Brian said, before turning to walk up the stairs to the house above the shop, where he and his family lived.

"Hey kiddo, you alright?" I asked taking a seat next to the lad, he seemed fine…well he wasn't himself…generally he'd still be running up and down the street or even trying to get a freebie by behaving himself…and generally Brian would give in and hand him a freshly baked hot-cross bun.

"I'm fine Miss, best be off, me ma will be worried an it ain't right to let her worry." He replied hopping up off the seat and running out the shop…well he sure as hell could recover quickly. I wonder what mum is thinking right about now. Wonder if she's even heard the news…

"I think we shut up shop early, in the spirit of things, I don't think many will be in the mood to come out of the house." Brian announced as he came back into the shop after calling everyone into the front of house. "I want you all bright and early back 'ere…that is unless by tomorrow you've signed up. But promise me one thing the lot of ya; promise me that you'll go straight home from 'ere, talk with your families before you go off making any rash decisions you 'ear."

By the time I'd reached our street, Slater street, the heavens had opened…it was always just my luck that it would chuck it down when I was only a few yards from my front door. Before I had even put my key in the lock, my mother had opened the door and pulled me into the tightest hug I'd ever received off of her.

"Mum…let go…can't breathe…mum." I wheezed as she squeezed even harder, I guess she'd already heard the news. Once she let go she took my jacket off before ushering me into the front room, where my two sisters and my brother were sat. "Where's dad?"

"He'll be here in a bit." Mum assured as she disappeared into the kitchen leaving me alone with my siblings. Being the oldest made it my duty to make sure the others were alright, but what could I say to them when even I was worried about the days to come…worried that my brother who was only sixteen would do, would he pretend he was in fact eighteen and run off to war? Hell he looked older than sixteen so I'm sure he'd get away with it…I don't even want to think what my mum would do if that happened, I don't even want to think what would happen if what got a visit from the army higher ups telling us that Danny had been killed in action.

"What's happening El?" Gabi asked, she was the youngest only nine years old, she knew something was up, that something was about to happen that would change her life, and she didn't like it. She didn't like seeing mum looking frazzled, she didn't like me being worried and she most certainly wouldn't like it when the whole thing kicked off.

"Oh, just some important news came in this morning." I said taking her hand and sitting down on the couch with her, Danny was sat on the floor while Nikki, who was fifteen, was sat on the other side of Gabi. The two of them obviously understood what was happening…unless mum and dad did not explain it to them or they hadn't heard the broadcast.

"But mummy seems worried and daddy left in a hurry. Are they fighting?" Gabi asked I looked down at her, there were tears welling up in her eyes. I hugged her, I truly never liked to see her unhappy and boy could she cry when she had reason to.

"No kiddo they ain't arguing, it's just some well it's not good news for 'ere. But it's nothing you need to worry 'bout you 'ear." I replied she nodded but she still seemed rather unhappy. "Tell you what, you give me a smile and I'll get you some penny jellies, deal?"

"Deal." She replied smiling, and just as that smile found its way onto her face, dad entered the house. She ran into the hallway wanting to see what he had gone out for. "Daddy's back! Daddy!"

"Heya sweetie," he greeted picking her up and swirling her round, before he placed her back down on the ground. By this point Danny, Nikki and I had ventured out to the hallway to see him. "Ellie, your mum and I need to talk with you."

Dad held the kitchen door open for me, the others were ushered up the stairs and into their rooms…this little talk was going to be about the war, and what I was going to do during the war, maybe I'd volunteer for a group like the Land Girls, but I couldn't let Brian down, even in wartime people still needed bread, even if it wasn't quality bread.

"El, unlike the last war, women are going to have a considerably bigger role to play." Dad began mum had been cooking up dinner until this point; she sat at the table head in her hands.

"It's not like I'm going to be able to fight on the front lines." I answered a way to calm mum down and me a little, if women now had a bigger role to play could that mean that I could be drafted out to the front lines? Did I really want to be out there killing other people's family members? Did I really want to see the horrors granddad had described?

"Actually Ellie, you could end up on the front lines." Dad answered sitting down, this earned a sob from mum. Well I may not end up in a munitions factory if I signed up to help the war effort; I may actually end up on the front lines. "It's your choice,"

"How can you say that George? Do you want to see our baby go off to war? What if she never comes back? She'll never have been married, she'll never have children, do you really want to take that away from her?" mum screeched tears streaming down her cheeks, she batted dad's arm away as he tried to reassure her.

"Mum calm down. If I do join the war effort, I may not go to the front; I can't even see myself fighting on the front lines. And as for marriage and kids, I don't even know if I want that yet, hell even at all." I replied honestly I mean I haven't ruled out marriage and kids, just at the age of twenty it really hadn't crossed my mind so much, that and all the lads I knew were either taken, too old for me or were just creepy as hell.

"She is twenty Gwen, it's her decision." Dad stated the discussion carried on, until dad decided to take me for a walk. We walked up towards St Luke's church, were sure enough in the church hall was a post for those who wanted to sign up for the war effort, dad was signing up to help with the air raid shelters, the walk had given me time to think over some things and I knew what I had to do.

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Author's Notes:

Hi! A longer more serious chapter, here's some information that has slightly been explained in the chapter, Liverpool as a port city has had good trading links with China since the 1800s, telling porkies if you don't know means telling lies, ma just means mum, and St Luke's church is a church that stands at the top of Bold Street, the speech from Neville Chamberlain is the full speech that was broadcast around the country…erm Lime Street of course is the street in which the main train station lies and I think that's all I have to say. Hope you liked it and if you have any questions feel free to ask.


	3. Good Day Churchill

Disclaimer: You already know! And sorry for the slow updating! =D

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Brothers in Arms

Chapter 3: Good Day Mr Churchill

The battle of Britain had been going on for nearly a year, and yet the Nazis had failed to conquer the small island…we had battened down the hatches and dug deep to withstand all the bombardment that came without warning. Bombs laid waste to cities, London was nearly flattened but Big Ben kept chiming and BBC broadcasts were constantly transmitted through the airwaves. St Luke's church that had once stood proudly at the top of Bold Street was now a hollow shell of the church it once was. The raiders had directly hit it, and that was it the church was brought down by a direct hit, a bomb meant for the docks had annihilated an innocent church, nothing had been planned there, nothing was done there to help the war effort.

On the 26th July 1940, nearly a year into the war and just before the Battle for Britain began; Mr Churchill replaced Mr Chamberlain as Prime Minister. He seemed the right man for this war, he'd opposed Appeasement from the idea Mr Baldwin started with to the mistake in Czechoslovakia at the hands of Chamberlain. He was the man to lead Britain in a war a good speaker and a better commander. It was after the fall of France and the failure at Dunkirk that he issued a motivating speech:

_I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty's Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old._

It motivated everyone in the country from the men who were fighting on the front line, to the women replacing them in the factories. We knew that this war would hit us, we had seen the horrific sights of the Blitzkrieg or the air raids over Europe…and that's what was heading for us. At first it was the airstrips, military barricades and naval bases, but then when they failed to invade the island they're targets were anything and everything whether it was a munitions factory or simply someone's homes it didn't matter all that mattered was conquering the nation…whether or not they conquered a nation completely flattened. But they had underestimated Churchill and the British resilience, and soon they turned their attention to the USSR…a mistake that was suicidal. Within the same year that the Nazis unleashed Operation Barbarossa, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, both actions led to the participation of the USSR and the USA in the war.

"Hey! Ellie did you hear?!" Hannah asked, she was one of my childhood friends we had grown up next door to each other, she however had recently gotten married and moved out of the street, but we still saw each other every now and then. Her husband, Benjamin was currently down south getting ready to go to war with the rest of the British army…something she constantly worried about.

"Hear what?" I asked as we walked up the street, I wasn't in that much of a hurry, but I had been 'summoned' to the 'headquarters' of the city's war offices…what they wanted with me, I had no idea. Sure I'd been doing some work for them within the evacuation department…but why would that make them want me to come by…it could have been about my help during one out with one of the air raids…

"The Americans have entered the war at last!" she replied smiling…that was good news, we finally had an ally that wasn't currently occupied…well there was the USSR, but Churchill didn't trust Stalin and well the Conservatives didn't trust the Communists…or the Fascists, but then again we were in a war with Fascists…which is probably the reason why Sir Oswald Mosley ended up in prison over a year ago…

"'Bout time really eh? Your Benjy will have some company at least." I teased as we stopped at the top of the road, she was off to work at one of the munitions factories located near the docks and well I was off up towards the offices on Rodney Street, she tensed up a bit, might have hit a raw nerve…

"Well hopefully he won't be sent off to Europe…" she mused as she went to leave; I stopped her and pulled her into a hug.

"He'll be fine and the two of you can make cute babies together and live a happy life together." I reassured she nodded although she was more than likely not convinced at all, but there was not harm in trying to reassure her. She left and I continued my journey onwards to the offices, passing some of the destruction that had occurred over night, people's houses and lives gone within a night.

Upon arriving at the offices I was directing towards a room that currently didn't have anyone in, just me and the furniture. Seriously was I earlier than the people who had summoned me to the offices…well that generally didn't happen, but I guess it was a day for firsts.

"Ah Mrs Costain." A man greeted as he entered the room, well with that accent he was definitely not from around here, wonder how his train journey from London was like…there were countless cancellations due to rubble on the line.

"It's just Miss, sir." I answered as he offered me the seat opposite the desk, he apologised for the mistake, little as it was. And then business began, he began explaining about Churchill's plans for the war and a new 'army', Churchill's own private army. "Not to sound dumb, but what has this got to do with me?"

"Well Miss Costain, we are offering, well more like telling you that you have become a part of this new army." He explained, was he serious, it was unheard of women going to front lines…even in this war hardly any women went, unless they were part of a medical service that was severely needed out in Europe. "You'll be leaving for London tomorrow, we're giving you chance to say farewell to family and to inform them of this honour."

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Author's Notes:

Hi! Sorry for the slow updating I've had a lot of work and exams. Hope you enjoy this new chapter there soon will be a new one and then there'll be more Easy Company! Also Hannah is based off of one of my friends too, though she isn't married and I do not know a Benjamin. Thanks for the support Ciao for now! =D


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